


Sinfully Innocent

by tendaerlove



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Action, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Detectives, Drama, F/F, F/M, M/M, Murder Mystery, Romance, Suspense, the title is misleading but no porn here sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-03
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-29 00:35:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12619104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tendaerlove/pseuds/tendaerlove
Summary: Baekhyun had begun a new chapter in his life but as at every beginning, he has a risky start. When a threat has hit too close to home, he takes a trip back to his past, one he's left behind on purpose, to help those in need. His helping nature gets him involved but his demons keep him close by. With the impulse of the mysterious detective, Kim Jongdae, Baekhyun finds himself in the centre of the work the Celebrity Murders Department is responsible for- trying to save people he used to be like.Those who has shone the brightest has the most to hide.It's always been like that and Baekhyun has never been an exception.[first posted on AFF; discontinued there, I continue here]





	Sinfully Innocent

# Prelude

 

 

Baekhyun pulls the shades over his eyes and the hoodie onto his head swiftly, only to realize five seconds later, he has no reason to. No cars park in the street, no people stand on the graveyard clutching onto cameras and shouting his name. They actually don’t even remember his name anymore… Yeah, total façade is totally useless. What a ridiculous way to start the day.

 

He walks down the street leisurely after that, in a funny-slash-bitter mood, leaning more towards the funny side. People pass by him, he looks directly at them, Baekhyun even attempts to wink at a pretty lade in red stilettos, but other than confused looks and a flattered smile he gets nothing.

 

A bit weird… but comfortable I guess, Baekhyun thinks as he steps into the closest coffee shop and orders a latte macchiato. The guy at the counter misspells his name on the cup. I finally can have the privacy I was yearning for. I can go to places without drawing unwanted attention. I can meet people without asking for permission or worrying about safety.

 

He finishes his drink by the time he arrives to the bus stop and B470 rolls in. The last time Baekhyun went by bus he passed by the checkpoint so casually, he only heard the driver’s reminder to use his card when he was sitting at the back row. Now he’s more aware and always gets his card ready as soon as the doors open.

 

The ride lasts approximately fifteen minutes. It’s too short of a time to get his earplugs in so Baekhyun is listening to two ahjummas’ conversation about education and child obesity as they sit right behind him. Both of them are super concerned but none of them is well-informed about each topic. Baekhyun wonders if they know how homeschooling isn’t as great as it seems to be. Or that following diets doesn’t equal a healthy lifestyle.

 

He’s so caught up in the heated debate, he only recognizes at the third minute mark someone is looking at him. From the corner of his eyes Baekhyun sees a girl, probably a high schooler, based on the uniform she’s wearing. Her eyes are intently boring into his, her bangs keep falling into her eyes but she doesn’t bother clipping them away. Could it be…?

 

Baekhyun goes for a friendly wave and a hopefully friendly smile. It’s been a while he’s showed this smile, he can’t be sure it worked out. Fortunately the girl giggles and waves back with a cute lip bite. Yeah, it’s another false alarm but at least a pleasant one.

 

If Baekhyun belonged to her age group, he might sit next to her to get in to a conversation and leave with her number. It’s not the case though. He’s certainly good seven years older than her and certainly not the type she’s allowed to date. Getting into a relationship with someone at this point of his life is not a good idea either.

 

He and the cute student get off at the same stop but Baekhyun goes to the other direction, not even glancing back to notice the girl’s lingering looks towards his retreating form.

 

The recording studio is just around the corner from there. Baekhyun shows up his pass at the reception. The desk lady nods and grants him access inside. He takes the elevator to travel up to the third floor where the recording scheduled for today starts in a quarter.

 

Sungjoon, the sound engineer welcomes him with a wide smile and a small wave. Baekhyun would like to talk to him, he’s a great guy to socialize but his headphones are on and three girls are standing in the booth, ready to get their parts done. In lack of other company, he sits down to the side and drinks from the bottle of mineral water he has snatched from the machine on the corridor.

 

The girls are his co-workers – Soojin, Ahra and Hanbi. The four of them frequently work together (sometimes even joined by another male vocal, Jaehyun) because their harmony is quite unique. Baekhyun has no problems with either of them. They’re all overall nice and hard-working girls. If he had to choose a favorite, he’d say Hanbi without thinking about it twice.

 

He watches as said girl reaches a high note almost effortlessly and goes on to the next section without further mistakes. She’s a born talent, probably the best among them. And besides that, she has a likeable, down-to-earth personality. She reminds Baekhyun of…

 

“Hey.”

 

Baekhyun looks up to see a woman taking place on his right side. The superstar has arrived.

 

“Hi. Your timing is amazing.”

 

“Why so?”

 

“I’ve just thought of you.”

 

Taeyeon chuckles in amazement.

 

“What made you think of me suddenly?”

 

“Rather who.” Baekhyun answers before looking through the glass to see the girls flipping through some papers. “Hanbi reminds me of you when you’ve started.”

 

There was a time Kim Taeyeon wasn’t the diva she’s been grown to be. Baekhyun was there when she was just a pretty face with a pretty voice among several ones, waiting for her big chance. Through the years, she had reached the place she was wishing to be at and unlike some others, has managed to stay sober and real.

 

“Yep, she’s really good.” Taeyeon agrees with a hum, only smiling at Baekhyun’s eye-roll. Sober, real and a little self-confident. “I’ve mentioned Sungjoon he should give her voice some more space. She sounds the best in the upper register, especially when she’s harmonizing with you.”

 

“You think so?”

 

“I’d like to say our voices sound together the best but no matter how content I felt, it’d be a lie.”

 

Baekhyun chuckles at the woman’s bluntness. That’s one of the many things why he likes her so much – being around Taeyeon is refreshing and never a burden. It’s almost like he hasn’t left the spotlight, just stepped back to leave the light shine on others.

 

Sungjoon pulls the headset off for a second to call.

 

“Hyung, you’re up.”

 

Baekhyun stands up and approaches the booth. As the girls leave one by one, they share little high fives. Arriving to Hanbi, his grin unconsciously widens.

 

“You were great.”

 

“The booth is still soundproof, oppa.” She shakes her head laughingly. “But thanks. Good luck with your part! Joon oppa told me you need to do your best today.”

 

“I have to go a lot higher, don’t I?”

 

“You’ll find out soon.”

 

“Ya, Hanbi.”

 

The girl leaves with a knowing smirk then joins Ahra and Soojin by the racks. Baekhyun is already in the booth, so he can’t hear what’s going on but from what he sees, it looks like the girls are about to go on a dinner. Ahra turns to Taeyeon but she politely declines. It’s understandable - her album is going to be released in two months, she has a lot of work to do. Hanbi goes for Sungjoon but even though they converse long and full of smiles, at the end the guy shakes his head and mouths a chiding “no” to her.

 

Baekhyun would like to join them but…

 

“We’re going from the second line, hyung.”

 

“Yes.” He responds to the sound engineer and soon the backing track starts to play.

 

The trio of female backing vocals leaves just as he begins. The last thing he sees from them is Hanbi’s sparkling smile in the door gap, causing Baekhyun to grin fondly as he sings his first line.

 

 

*****

 

 

“This is the last time I’m asking you nicely, Hyeri. Where is The Red Dragon hiding?”

 

The woman looks up at the angry man with a nonchalant face, her red lips pouting in distaste.

 

“You can ask me nicely or not so nicely, Detective Kim, but all I can say to you is I have no fucking idea.”

 

Jongdae loudly exhales and sits back into the chair at the other side of the table. Hyeri is obviously lying. It’s no secret she works for the leader of the gang Exodus. She knows where The Red Dragon is, she just wants him and everybody else think she’s clueless. And based on the interrogation going for hours she is firm about her silence.

 

“I understand you have your reasons why you want to keep us in the dark but –“

 

“Oh really?” The female leans forward in her chair, the handcuff on her wrists crinkling loudly by the movement. “Tell me, detective. Why do I act like a bitch?”

 

You’re a bitch without any reason, Jongdae is itching to say but that would be 1) very unprofessional of him, possibly causing the suspect to be even less cooperative as well and of course 2) would make him a dick he doesn’t want to be.

 

“I’ll make sure the information you give us won’t get you into trouble.” He says at the end, in the most calming voice he can muster. “A twenty-year-old girl had died three days ago, Hyeri. Without reaching Exodus, her murderer escapes.”

 

Hyeri lifts her cuffed hands towards her head to get a disturbing strand out of her eyes. As she flips her short, purple hair, her eyes are shooting daggers at the man in front of her.

 

“The murderer you’re looking for is not among us. We’re not good people, detective, but we’re not murderers.”

 

“Then you have no reason to hide or lie. If you’re innocent, you can say the truth without fearing the consequences.”

 

The two of them were holding a staring contest for a while. None of them wanted to let go, let the other come up as a winner. At the end the woman sighs and lifts her hands.

 

“I don’t have time for your mind games. I don’t have anything to say to you. You have no reason to keep me here so let me go now.”

 

Jongdae watches frustrated as Jaehwan guides the girl towards the entrance. Hyeri looks back above her shoulder and mutters a silent “fuck you” as the door closes behind her back.

 

“She’ll be back in here in a minute, don’t worry about that.”

 

Han Hyeri has been a frequent visitor at the police, notorious for theft, blackmail and contraband. Jongdae was more worried about some mysterious disappearance.

 

“If someone from Exodus gets to know she was asked about this murder, they might finish her off.” He answers.

 

Amber, his colleague, and the only person at the station who could gain access to all the banks and other higher institutes in the city under three minutes, stops typing and looks up shocked.

 

“You think this is the last time we’ve seen her?”

 

“I’ll ask Jaehwan to keep on eye on her. Han Hyeri is our only connection to Exodus. If she dies, so does our main information source about the underworld.”

 

“Do you believe her?” Amber comes up with another question, continuing wandering around sites people are usually not allowed to at. “Do you think Exodus has nothing to do with this?”

 

Jongdae sighs.

 

“Yes and no. I believe her regarding to the reputation of the gang. They’re one shady branch, one of the worst but wouldn’t risk their system with something as drastic as a murder. No as in Exodus is somewhat connected to this case I’m sure of it. Hyeri has never been a chatterbox but this type of stubbornness is new. She looked too cool for the situation. She’s covering for someone.”

 

“For the murderer?”

 

“That’s our task to detect.”

 

Jaehwan returns a moment later, bringing the empty cuffs in his right hand.

 

“Where did she go?”

 

“A black car was waiting in front of the office. As soon as I opened the lock, she hopped in and they disappeared.” The taller man replies then before his superior could ask, puts up a stopping hand. “I’m keeping my eyes on her. Whoever she talks with, wherever she goes, we will know.”

 

“Good.” Jongdae replies with a nod.

 

“Is she in trouble?”

 

Jongdae looks at his colleague with furrowed brows.

 

“Jae, she’s a criminal. She’s always in trouble.”

 

The giant shrugs and goes to his desk to sit down. The head of the department turns to Amber for an explanation why one of their people has sudden interest in one of their suspects, but the girl shakes her head in wonder.

 

“I’m a computer programmer. I understand computers, not people.”

 

“Yeah sure… I expect you’ve tracked where the victim has been the last twenty-four hours then.”

 

“Indeed, I’ve done my job.” Amber turns the screen towards her superior. “The red spots you see indicate the places Hong Mari had been.”

 

Jongdae examines every spot one by one. They’re scattered all around the city, differ from public places to residential buildings… It looks like the girl was in a chase or something.

 

“Do you have footages?”

 

“I’m on it. The number of cameras all around is ridiculous. I wonder how bad boys manage the business nowadays.”

 

The detective has nothing to say to that. Crime has always been and always will be. Criminals always find a way.

 

A sudden red spot in between a park and a building brings attention to Jongdae’s eyes.

 

“What is the eighteenth spot?”

 

“It’s a bar.”

 

“Which time had she been there and who reported it?”

 

Amber clicks with the mouse and another window pops up.

 

“Let’s see. According to the interrogations… Ah yes. It’s one of the places gathered from the police. Nobody has told about it, they identified her by pictures. It was around noon.”

 

That’s it, Jongdae thinks as he reads the certain row “Bar – police – 12AM”, Hong Mari had visited this bar around noon without letting the people around her know… or if somebody has known, they have been in silence about it. Either way, it’s a clue worth to detect.

 

“Amber, where did the victim go next, after her journey at the bar?”

 

“She visited her mother. Her hair salon is right on the corner.”

 

Jongdae remembers. He interrogated the woman. Well, it seems like another visit must be made.

 

He fishes out his phone from the back pocket of his jeans and starts marching towards his office to get the number.

 

Amber figures out what’s happening.

 

“Boss, you can’t go to field now. Someone from the forensics comes in fifteen minutes.”

 

“Evidences won’t go anywhere.”

 

“You tell them.” The female shrugs before turning back to her computer. “Last time you were late and I had to come up with an excuse, they almost killed me with their eyes.”

 

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of people in lab coats.”

 

“I’m afraid of people in lab coats with knifes in their bags and authority on their hands.”

 

Jongdae turns back in front of his office with a grin.

 

“You’re a hero. Just search for more information about the victim and the list of possible suspects I’ve given you. I’ll call the forensics on the way.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

The detective finds the certain number quickly and calls the woman to inform her he’ll step by. Mrs. Lee sounds surprised but doesn’t oppose.

 

Before putting on his coat, Jongdae skims through the file once more. On the second page, a red-haired, smiling girl looks back at him. Hong Mari, twenty years old, aspiring singer. During one of his weakest moments, Jongdae looked up her performance. It showed she’s a beginner, not used to the spotlight and direct attention on her but it also showed she gave her heart with the performance. Her dance moves were full of life and when she had to leave the stage, didn’t forget to thank her fans in the audience with little waves of a hand. She could have been a bright star one day...

 

It’s never good to dwell on “should have been”-s, “could have been”-s or “what if”-s. What’s done, it’s done. However, thinking of them is useful by keeping one’s eyes on the goal.

 

Jongdae packs his bag and buttons up his coat. Those who couldn’t let Mari live her life won’t get away without a punishment. He won’t let them.

 

As he walks out of the office, he finds Amber sitting in front of her table, hands unmoving, her eyes staring at him seriously.

 

“What?”

 

“Big Boss just called. Another girl was found.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you have any thoughts, please share with them me~ I love any kind of feedback as it helps me to improve and go on. ^^
> 
> If you are someone who has already read this on AFF - you have every reason to subscribe because I have decided to continue over here. Thank you, if you do, and thank you for not giving up on Sinfully Innocent! :')


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